How to dispose of scrap metal the legal way

Selling your scrap metal can earn you a decent return, but it’s important to know the rules regarding what is and what isn’t legal, as falling on the wrong side of the law could lead to hefty fines and penalties.

Here’s our run down of some important rules you should follow.

First of all, while you can make money from selling on your scrap metal, it is important that you source it from your own home or your car. If you want to go out and collect scrap metal from other people, then you require a license such as a mobile collector’s license or a site collector’s license. This is the case even for your friends, family and neighbours. You should also never try and get your scrap metal from public land, abandoned sites, buildings or bins and skips as this is deemed as theft.

If you are approached by someone offering to buy your scrap metal from you then ask to see their license. If they can’t prove that they have one, then you should refuse. Without going to a reputable and fully licensed trader, you have no way of knowing whether you are getting a good deal and whether your scrap will be disposed of in a legal way. Income from illegal scrap metal activities has regularly been linked to organised crime and scrap metal theft costs the UK economy over £220m each year.

In order to follow the latest government rulings, all scrap metal deals now have to be above-board and traceable. In practice this means that no-cash can be paid for scrap metal trades. Instead, bank transfers and cheques are now the chosen method of exchange.

Here at LSPS we are one of Leicestershire’s largest independent ferrous and non-ferrous metal recyclers. We are fully licensed, offer extremely competitive prices in line with industry rates and can collect larger amounts of scrap metal directly from you.

To find out more contact LSPS today on 0800 083 7807 or simply call in with your scrap metal. We are open Monday – Friday between 07:30 and 16:30 and Saturdays from 7:30 until midday.

What does the law say about scrap metal for cash?

Like many different industries the scrap metal industry has rules and regulations to abide by. Here at LSPS we follow strictly all the key legislation surrounding the metal trade. Here we will explain some of the rules surrounding scrap metal and payment for scrap metal.

Paying for scrap metal

Whereas in the past recyclers would pay in cash for scrap metal, new legislation introduced in 2013 now means that metal must be paid for either electronically or by cheque. This is in an effort to provide a paper trail for any investigations by authorities into dealings. Traders who buy and sell scrap metal for cash now face £5,000 fines should they pay for goods in cash.

Metal theft costs the UK economy around £220 million a year and the theft of scrap metal has serious consequences not only for owners of private property but can also disrupt public amenities like railways, telecommunication networks and more. The new laws are helping to curb scrap metal theft.

The new laws mean that scrap metal dealers are required to verify the details of the seller at the point of sale documenting their name and address and keeping it on file and dealers must sign a national register. Trading without registering is a criminal offence. These new laws protect consumers as they link every sale with physical proof, which means stolen goods such as cars can be tracked down.

Here at LSPS we have years of experience in scrap metal and waste management. We are one of Leicestershire's largest independent ferrous and non-ferrous metal recyclers equipped with our own electronic 50 tonne weighbridge. We are keen to buy all grades of ferrous metals for recycling and offer extremely competitive prices.

To make sure our customers receive the fairest price possible our ferrous and non-ferrous metal rates are linked to the The Metal Bulletin - a trading and pricing system for the global metals industry. For the most up to date prices you can also call us on 0800 083 7807.

To find out more please contact LSPS today on 0800 083 7807 for competitive prices or alternatively simply visit us today with your scrap metal.

Do you have scrap metal lying around? Here are a few reasons to bring it to us!

Much has been made in recent years about the benefits of reducing or carbon footprints and while a great deal of noise is made around plastic and packaging recycling, car sharing and buying locally sourced produce, the benefits of scrap metal recycling are still off the radar for many people. Here we will look at a few of the benefits of recycling your scrap metal.

The benefits of metal recycling

A key reason to recycle your scrap metal is that it lessens the demand for raw materials. Mining often has a detrimental effect on the environment and can cause harmful impacts such as the release of toxic and radioactive chemicals contaminating soil and water tables, the formation of dangerous sinkholes and the disruption or destruction of habitats for local wildlife.

In terms of pollution, recycling is a better option than creating new products from metal as it lessens the demand for mining which causes damage to the environment along the way. Carbon emissions are one of the leading contributors to global warming and mining metals is a long process which takes up plenty of resources and leaving carbon emissions it its wake. By comparison, recycled aluminium uses 92% less energy than the mining, purifying and shaping involved in new metal creation, copper uses 90% less energy and steel 56% less energy.

There is also an economic motivation for recycling metal. The cost of extracting new metals is very high and is also time intensive. If more people recycle scrap metal, then the cost of producing metal products will be reduced which should eventually be passed on to consumers like you!

Recycling metal can be everything from making sure that you put aluminium cans in the right recycling bin through to bringing your ferrous and non-ferrous metals to a scrap metals recycler like LSPS.

Here at LSPS we have years of experience in scrap metal and waste management. We are one of Leicestershire's largest independent ferrous and non-ferrous metal recyclers equipped with our own electronic 50 tonne weighbridge. We are keen to buy all grades of ferrous metals for recycling and offer extremely competitive prices.

To make sure our customers receive the fairest price possible our ferrous and non-ferrous metal rates are linked to the The Metal Bulletin - a trading and pricing system for the global metals industry. For the most up to date prices you can also call us on 0800 083 7807.

To find out more please contact LSPS today on 0800 083 7807 for competitive prices or alternatively simply visit us today with your scrap metal.